Opened in September 2022, the New Zealand Wine Centre - Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, establishes a collaborative hub for the viticulture industry, research and education organisations within Blenheim’s Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT, now Te Pūkenga) campus.

Placed in what was previously an area occupied by prefab buildings, the NZWC building provides formal and informal spaces including conference spaces, meeting rooms and a cafeteria. Expansive glazing along the eastern side creates a sense of openness and connection to the redeveloped courtyard space and surrounding campus.

Utilising steel and timber frame construction, the Centre is clad in dark tray metal cladding, reducing maintenance and cost. In direct contrast to the materials of the surrounding existing buildings, the exterior of the structure creates a new, harmonious design language.

Soffits and post flitches for the building are clad in Blackbutt eucalypt, in reference to the research undertaken by MRC to test the use of this timber as a replacement for treated H5 timber as posts in vineyards, with the aim of eliminating the environmental impacts of treated timber.